Resilient wheel



Nov. 20 ,4923. f 1,474,737

v D. H. SMITH RESILIENT WHEEL Filed sept. 27. 1922 2 sheets-sheet 1 v/J./3 7fni..

MINI 31a/wanton Nov. 2O 1923. v

D. H. SMITH RESILENT lWHEEL Filed sept. 27.

1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nev. zo, i923.

i ,UNIT-n D, ST

if fingir?- DoNALn H. sivIIrH, or ADELAIDE, soUrH AUSTRALIA, usfrRAnIa.

Jinnerernur' "wiinnn To all colto-nt may concern "'i 'i c `Be 'it knownthat I, DONALD H. SMITH,

a subjectfof' the King of Great `Britain,`

Y' residing atAdelaide, in'the State of South Australia, Australia,haveinvented certain new' and usefulImprovem'ents in a Resilient Wheel;and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, andexac'tdescription of ythe invention, such as will enable others skilledthefart to .which it appertains to make and use the same,

This invention relates to'a resilient wheel for use on vehiclesgenerally but'particu- Y larly on automobiles. or other vehicles. of

the self-propelled type.v I, It is aimed to provide a novel construe#tion of wheelv utilizingl 'spring ymeans "to 'afford-the same ridingqualities as and to supplant the use of pneumatic tires.

Another-object is 'tof provide in such a construction, lan outertire-supporting'rim which is'contractile or capable of reduction indiameter so as to facilitate application and removal of a tire.i f V Y Athird object is to providej a construction in which the saidtire-supporting rim ino' one operative embodiment.

Figure l is a side elevation of a Wheel constructed in accordance withmy inven tion' Y Figure 2 is a plan view of the wheel;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the wheel .on the line 3-3of Figure 1; v A.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional .view

through the wheelon the line 4-4 Vof 'Figure 3 and taken at a right ure3; and Y Figure 5 is a detail perspective -view ot one of the outer rimsections integral thereangle to Figwith.

Like reference characters designate like or similar parts in the.different views.

In reducing the invention to practice, the wheel is provided with asuitable hub 10 for. attachment to an axle as usual and bolts *20. pass.

from which suitableinuiribersiof. spoke secl tions 11 radiate which'aresecuredlat their outerends to an'inner.'rim*12.f It willbe notedfthat the spoke Vsections 11 'are hollow away in sections. -1 f An outerrim isv provided at 12 which' is made up of a plurality Vof rim sections14 vwith one endA of each section overlapping the adjacent end oftheother section.';f These toV sections have 'outwardlynv extended flangesll-whiclrcoact toIpro-vide a' channel'to -receive'and retain Ya suitable'tire 16,*which' for example may be ofthe solidf'frubber type but,Ewhich of course mayv be of any .form

preferred. Extending ``-integrally Jfrom 'eachvsection 14 is va' spokesection 171 which extends into andisjslidably mounted"'by=the sectionl11. Cushioning springs 18 mayisurroundithespokes 17 and attthe'ir inner'ends engage the rim 12 and at the outer ends engage the section`w14. Atthe Voverlapping fends sections 14 fliave sliding or slip connectionwitheach-,otherk and are there provided with alining enlarged or elongatedslots 19 through which.'

The bolts 2O have heads 21 which overlap the tire-receiving surfaces ofthe sections 14 and they have square portions 22v disposed in the slot19 so that the bolts will not turn therein. The bolts 20 alsov passsnugly and slidably through openings in the rim 12 as in bushings 23 andinwardly beyond said rim 12 are-pro` vided with nuts 24. Surrounding thebolts 20 are cushioning springs` 25 which engage` .the rims 12 attheirfinner ends and the sec? tions 14 at their outer ends. n

The 'springs 18 and 25 are similarand preferably of heavy coil metallicconstruction and are of the expansive type so as to resiliently resistinward thrust of the `sections 14.

In use, shocks and jars inciden-tal to travel of the wheelare absorbedby the springs 18y and 25 asv will be realized,v since the sections 14may move radially and also have sliding or slip connection with eachother. `It will be noted that three springs resist the movement of eachof the sections 14which very tions; 1

Particular attention is called to the fact that the nuts 24 may. beoperated so as tof draw thesections l14 or a number of them,

eficiently resist the thrust ofthev sec-i` inwardly towards the hub ofthe wheel and maintain them in that position so that the diameter of therim 13 is decreased in order to facilitate'the application or removal ofa tire to the rim 13. After the tire is in place, the nut may be turnedin the opposite direction so that the springs 18 and 25 may have fullexpansive effect to tightly engage the tire and .secure it in place.

It Should bermenti'oned that the construction may Vloe manufactured atminimum eX- pense and that the practicability of forming spoke sections17 integral with sections 14 conduces greatly towardthis'end.

As mere-1y an operative embodiment has been illustrated and described,it is understood that changes in the details may be resorted .toprovided they fall within the spirit and scope of fthe invention.

I claim asmy invention z* 1. A wheel having a tire-mounting rim, saidrim "being in sections overlapping one adjacent section and underlappingthe other adjacent section, means providinga slip c onnection betweensaid sections, an inner rim, adjustable bolts extending from the innerrim, said sections `having slots through which the bolts pass, 'andcushioning springs intermediate the sections and the `inner rim. 50

vA wheelhaving a tire-mounting rim, said rim being in sections, an innerrim, hollow spokes Yon which the inner rim is .pro-

vided, ksaid sections yhaving spoke sections spokes.

in telescopic relation with said hollow spokes, said rim vsectionsoverlapping and provided with elongated slots, bolts passing throughsaid elongatedslots and inner rim, and cushioning means between saidsections and inner rim. Y

3. A wheel having a tire-mounting rim, said rim being'in sections, aninner rim, hollow spokes on which the inner rimjis provided, saidsections having'spokefsections in telescopic relation with said hollowspokes, said rim sections 'overlapping and "provided with elongatedslots, Vbolts passing through said elongated slots andinner rim, andcushioning means between said sections and inner rim, surrounding saidbolts and said l. A wheel having a 'tire-mounting rim', said v rim beingin sections, each section yat one end overlapping the adjacent section,each section at the other end lunderlapping the adjacent section,fastening means operable to move said sections towardthe center of thewheel, said sections having slots through which said means pass, andcushioning means for the sections urging them to normal position. j j

In testimony 'whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.j

Y DONALD H. SMITH.A Witnesses:

GEO. BARTLss, H. HURsT.

